Budget Stalemate May Stall Lincoln Bypass

A major transportation project in the Placer County town of Lincoln may be put on hold if a state budget isn’t passed soon.

That’s the word from local government officials and labor leaders. They say the partially constructed Lincoln Bypass is a real world casualty of the budget impasse.

The $325 million bypass is designed to help relieve traffic congestion through the town of Lincoln on Highway 65.

Jim Earp heads the California Alliance for Jobs. He says the project’s contractor may have to stop work as early as next week.

“If they don’t get assurances of payment they’re going to have to be forced to shut down. When you take a project like this and you have to shut it down after its already started, you incur a tremendous amount of cost that you’re basically just flushing that money down the toilet.”

Earp says the bypass is in danger because the state can’t sell the bonds to fund the project.